A Natural Wonder
The Zambezi River
The Victoria Falls
Formation of the Victoria Falls
People of the Victoria Falls
Enter the Ndebele
Discovery of the Victoria Falls
In Livingstone's Footsteps
Development of the Railway
To the Banks of the Zambezi
Development of the Falls
To The Congo
Development of Tourism
Development of Victoria Falls Town
Recent History
Further Information
Collectables

    
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Development of the Victoria Falls



The following text is adapted from 'Footsteps Through Time - A History of Travel and Tourism to the Victoria Falls', researched and written by Peter Roberts and published in 2017. Please visit the Zambezi Book Company website for more information.



British Royal Family visit, 1947

In 1947 the British Royal Tour of the Union of South Africa and the Rhodesias included a visit to the Victoria Falls, with Their Majesties King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and their two daughters, Their Royal Highnesses the Princess Elizabeth (now the reigning monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret, staying at the Victoria Falls Hotel, which was commandeered entirely for their use.

The three month tour (February-April 1947), the first of a reigning British monarch to southern Africa, was arranged as a ‘thank you’ to the people of southern Africa for their support during the Second World War, and was celebrated with much pomp and fanfare being the first overseas state visit since 1939. The King had been invited by the Prime Minister, General Jan Smuts, to open the South African Parliament and consolidate ties between the two countries. The young Princess Elizabeth also celebrated her 21st birthday during the tour.

The journey to South Africa was by battleship cruiser, the HMS Vanguard, arriving in Cape Town on February 17th. The South African Railways provided a newly built ‘White Train,’ the Garratt locomotives of which were painted deep royal blue and which were used throughout the tour of Rhodesia. The tour involved over 10,000 miles of travel including 4,920 miles by rail.

"For the haulage of the royal train, which weighed 810 tons, the four 15th class Beyer-Garratts, nos 271-274, were specially prepared and painted in a most attractive royal blue livery. For each journey two locomotives were used, separated by a bogie water tank, also painted blue, while the pilot train, weighing 634 tons, was double-headed by two 12th class 4-8-2 locomotives in RR black livery. The appearance of the two trains was outstanding and a great credit to the railway staff concerned in this memorable event." (Croxton, 1982)

External Link: Pathe News Report - The Royal Tour at the Victoria Falls.

The Royal Train heading for Victoria Falls behind a 15th Class Garrett. 1947 [From Croxton, 1973]

The Royal Party flew from South Africa to Salisbury on 7th April, the two trains having arrived the previous day and stabled in a special siding at Government House. From the capital they travelled by train to Bulawayo and on to the Falls, arriving just before midday on the 11th April.

"The tour went off smoothly and according to programme, the only unrehearsed incident of note being at Matetsi where, when the train stopped for water en route to Victoria Falls, their Majesties seeing a small gathering at the station decided spontaneously and without warning to alight. The stationmaster (Charlie Wise) at once stepped forward respectfully to greet the King and Queen and escorted them to the thrilled group of onlookers. Everywhere crowds had loyally and enthusiastically welcomed the royal visitors but this informal reception made a great impression." (Croxton, 1982)

The Falls Hotel was reserved entirely for their use and subject to a major re-furnishing and equipping for the occasion. Their Majesties’ suite was on the first floor of the south wing ‘hammerhead,’ which for many years after was known as the Queen’s Suite, and the Princesses suite located on the ground floor of the same wing. The visit was a welcome break following many public engagements during the tour, and repeated visits were made to the Falls.

“The Royal Family visited the Falls on two separate days. They saw them under the sun and under the moon, from the level of the upper river, and from that of the gorge. They walked through the so-called ‘Rain Forest’ opposite the Main Falls, where the spray forms a perpetual cloud, and where the King remarked that for the first time in his life he had been soaked even through his hat.” (Morrah, 1947)

On 12th April 1947, the day dubbed by the Livingstone Mail as the ‘most important day in the history of the town,’ the Royal Party visited Livingstone, for the afternoon at least, crossing the river in the Hotel’s launch, ‘Daphne.’ Flying the Royal Standard, the party sailed up to the Zambezi Boat Club on the northern bank, escorted upstream by the state barge of Barotseland Paramount Chief, Litunga Imwiko. The road from the river was resurfaced and re-named the Royal Mile in honour of the occasion.

“From the point of view of watchers on the northern bank, where Sir John Waddington, the Governor of Northern Rhodesia, was waiting, the launch flying the Royal Banner came into view round the eastern end of the largest of the many islands, called Long Island, and simultaneously, from the mouth of the tributary Maramba, appeared the state barge of Imwiko, Paramount Chief of the Barotse, the largest group of tribes in Northern Rhodesia.” (Morrah, 1947)

The Royal party celebrated divine service in the Hotel chapel on the Easter Sunday (13th April).

The spectacular view of the Victoria Falls, Rhodesia impresses the Royal Family

Several islands and special locations were named after the Royal visit:

“His late Majesty, King George VI expressed a desire to have some of the islands in the Zambesi named after his family; Long Island [also known as Siloka or Loando Island] was renamed King George VI Island, Kalai Island became Queen Elizabeth Island, Siachikola Island became Princess Elizabeth Island... His Majesty also renamed Dale’s Kopje, Queen Elizabeth Kopje.” (Clark, 1952)

Another island was also named after Princess Margaret. The Hotel’s landing stage was renamed in honour of the visit, becoming known as the King’s Landing Stage and Boat House. Her Royal Highness Princess Marie Louise, daughter of Princess Helena and grand-daughter to Queen Victoria, visited Livingstone and the Falls in 1955, also having an island named after her.

The Council resolved to name the road from Mosi-O-Tunya Road to the Boat Club in Livingstone 'The Royal Mile' (now Sichango Road).

Contrasting Perspectives

In 1947 the Northern Rhodesia Government invited the South African Tourist Corporation (SATC) to assess the country’s tourism potential with the aim to develop the country as a prime tourism destination. The report highlight the poor state of existing tourism infrastructure, urging improvements to Livingstone’s roads, railway station and hotels (Moonga 1999).

Lack of suitable standard hotel accommodation caused acute problems during the Royal Visit in 1947, and the Livingstone Mail of 24th January 1948 highlighted the poor state of the town’s road network. In July the paper printed the contrasting experiences of one visiting tourist:

“I was much struck by the difference between the gateway approaching to the Victoria Falls from Southern Rhodesia and that of Northern Rhodesia’s neglect. On the Southern Rhodesia side the Victoria Falls station was clean... no wonder tourists hurried down the path to the nearby hotel... Livingstone station offers no such thrill... sordid is the word (which) best fits the entrance to Livingstone by railway... a shabby and miskept station.” (Livingstone Mail, July 1948)

In the year of the Royal visit, 1947, Southern Rhodesia recorded over 38,000 tourist arrivals. By contrast, Northern Rhodesia received less than half this number, recording 15,000 visitors arrivals.

In 1948 the Northern Rhodesia National Monuments Commission established the Victoria Falls Conservancy Committee to manage the area of the Falls on the northern bank. The protected area was extended downstream to Songwe Gorge (confirmed in legislation on 4th April 1949).

For a period in the 1950s tourists were allowed to descend down the Power Station rail-trolley to the bottom of the gorge.

“The trolley service allows half an hour stay at the bottom of the gorge but visitors are not permitted into the power station itself… The trolley, which is really far more comfortable than it looks at first glance is hauled up and down a well set track by a winch. The track is 850 feet [259 m] long and descends a vertical height of 350 feet [106 m]. There are 406 steps at the side of the track which provides descent for about half of the way down the steepest drop, but the rest of the route is a sloping pathway.” (Woods, 1960)

Next page: Flying Boats

References

Clark, J D [Editor] (1952) The Victoria Falls : A Handbook to the Victoria Falls, the Batoka Gorge, and part of the Upper Zambesi River Commission for the Preservation of Natural and Historical Monuments and Relics, Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia.

Livingstone Mail (July 1948) Article. 16 July 1948. [Quoted in Moonga, 1999]

Moonga. K. (1999) The Development of Tourism in Livingstone District, 1945-1991. University of Zambia.

Morrah, D. (1947) The Royal Family in Africa. Hutchinson.

Woods, Jonah (1960) Guide book to the Victoria Falls, S. Manning.

Further Reading

Roberts, P. (2021) Footsteps Through Time - A History of Travel and Tourism to the Victoria Falls. Zambezi Book Company.

Footsteps Through Time - A History of Travel and Tourism to the Victoria Falls


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Discover the Victoria Falls with the Zambezi Book Company

'To The Victoria Falls' aims to bring you the wonder of the Victoria Falls through a look at its natural and human history.

This website has been developed using information researched from a wide variety of sources, including books, magazines and websites etc too numerous to mention or credit individually, although many key references are identified on our References page. Many of the images contained in this website have been sourced from old photographic postcards and publications and no infringement of copyright is intended. We warmly welcome any donations of photographs or information to this website.

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